When I speak to clients who are looking to purchase a home in Northern New Jersey, in towns such as Maplewood, South Orange, Millburn or Short Hills, I often talk about the many creative community
events that make these towns such a unique place to live, work, raise a family or just spend the day in.
The annual Strawberry Festival, the Studio Art Tour, the Halloween Parade, the 4th of July Celebration and Maplewoodstock are among my favorites. Maplewoodstock is an annual celebration of community music and art held in Maplewood every July in Memorial Park (right across from the Maplewood train station). Maplewoodstock was first held in 2004 and the event has quickly grown in size and scope. The two-day event features all day music from talented bands - 2010 headliners were Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Steve Forbert, and Maya Azucena.
Art is a huge part of Maplewoodstock. Art, crafts, clothes, food and more are available from local artist and merchants who set up tables all over the park. The Able Baker, Julie Pauly, was selling her delicious cupcakes and cookies, SONA Indian restaurant was serving up delicious combo plates, Stony’s was grilling up some burgers, Hopscotch was showcasing all her new toys and accessories for kids. Maplewoodstock has it’s own merchandise, including t-shirts, hats, and lawn signs. The organizers even held a Logo Contest for 2010. The winning logo was:
Maplewoodstock also has a Kidzone to keep the little ones happy. They get their faces painted, do arts and crafts and cool down with ice cream. It’s an event that is fun for the entire family which is very apparent when gazing across the lawn – all you see are groups of teenagers, adults, kids happily spread out on their blankets eating, drinking and listing to music. Take a look at the photos
here.
It was also an opportunity for local charities to raise money and awareness. Namely the HK Community Fund, headed by Thomas Kerns, who’s mission is to “enhance the feeling of belonging and community spirit within our local communities.” This year, the verdict was that Maplewoodstock was once again a phenomenal success—in the very least as an event that brings the community together and celebrates the spirit of Maplewood. The organizers did a phenomenal job of spreading the word. The created a website dedicated to the event www.maplewoodstock.com, as well as a Facebook page, created a Flickr account to showcase photos, a You Tube channel, a Blog and a Twitter account!
I’ll keep posting about these events on my blog so that those of you looking to move and purchase a home in Northern New Jersey can be educated on what these towns have to offer and and the many community events that make them a special place to live.
If you would like an area tour by a knowledgeable Realtor of Maplewood, South Orange, Millburn, Short Hills, Livingston and West Orange – please do not hesitate to contact me!
Best,
Caroline Gosselin
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